Examine Yourselves to See Whether You Are in the Faith History Intro to 2 Corinthians

Examine Yourselves to See Whether You Are in the Faith

History

Intro to 2 Corinthians

You and I have people in our lives

People we have history with

Sometimes that history becomes embarrassing and hurtful

Some of those hurts last for years

This was the case of Paul and the church he founded in Corinth

Paul laid down his life for these people and they rejected him

2 Corinthians uncovers the drama and pain

As well as revealing the way to peace and harmony

At the end of 2 Corinthians we get some very good advice  

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. 

Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — 

unless, of course, you fail the test? 

2 Corinthians 13:5

Self-examination

Not a test of how smart you are or influential

But a test to see if you are in the faith

Are you passing the test or are you blaming others?

History

Intro to 2 Corinthians

Paul had history with the Corinthians.

In Acts 18, we see Paul

founded the Church in Corinth.

 1 Corinthians 5:9 lets us know Paul

wrote a letter before 1 Corinthians.

“I have written you in my letter not to

associate with sexually immoral people---”

Between first and second Corinthians, Paul seems to

go back to Corinth to have a face-to-face chat.

Then he refers to a letter he calls “letter of tears”

2 Corinthians 2:3-4 & 7:8

Paul’s authority was challenged;

he was poor, persecuted and even homeless.

More eloquent speakers, wealthy, influential

Christian leaders, as so called “supper-apostles

(2 Corinthians 11 & 12) made Paul look embarrassing.

Why stay connected to a manual labor

guy when they could associate with

the rich, celebrity leaders of the day?

Paul laid a foundation in 1 Corinthians 3:11,

 a foundation of Jesus Christ.

As Paul moved on to plant other churches… 

The people were divided over groups and

leaders having casual sex with one another.

Becoming stumbling blocks as it came to

the issue of eating meat offered to idols.

At church gatherings there was division.

 The Lord’s supper became a time of drunkenness.

And even some denied the resurrection.  

“History” – you and I have history with others.

The other day Sandy and I went to a jeweler

that we have done business with for decades.

The owner waited on us and one of the first things he said was

he remembered us as we have been long term customers.

As the jeweler opened an old sales catalog

 he pointed out his personal drawings on a

picture of a necklace we had made by him for

our oldest granddaughter two years earlier.

We have good history with this jeweler and he with us.

But not all history is good history.

Paul’s history with the Church in

Corinth was full of pain and sorrow.

Paul laid his life down for these people who rejected him.

It was a long journey for Paul to regain respect.

2 Corinthians gives us a unique look at Paul’s

life and who he was as he defends himself in

order to maintain the right to defend the Gospel.

There are many things we can learn that will

help us with people we have bad history with.

  

One of the key things to note is

history is not only events, but time.

  

Paul did not give up on the people in Corinth.

It was years of sorry, pain and embarrassment.

Years that Paul continued to pray and

work through in order to reconcile.

Paul starts 2 Corinthians with these words…

  

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 

who comforts us in all our troubles,

so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort 

we ourselves have received from God. 

For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives,

so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Paul focuses on the God of all comfort in the midst

of the troubled history he had with the people.

Comfort for the people as

Paul ends 2 Corinthians with…

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.

Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?

2 Corinthians 13:5

Self-examination

Not a test of how smart you are or influential.

But a test to see if you are in the faith.

The people in Corinth went beyond the faith.

They added and accepted things beyond

the teaching, the very Word of God.

Paul had to be harsh with his authority but he knew…

The authority the Lord gave me for building you up,

not for tearing you down.

2 Corinthians 13:10

As badly as the Corinthians were failing the test,

 Paul continued to use his authority to build them up.

 Examine yourself…

Is there anything keeping you from passing the test?

Any rejection, hurt, pain,

or maybe some carnal desire?

God wants to comfort you and if He has had to

speak harsh words to you, it is only to build you up.

 

Scripture Reading NIV

1 Corinthians 1:11-13

11 My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another,

"I follow Christ."

13 Is Christ divided?

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

9 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11 But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

2 Corinthians 2:1-4

2:1 So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. 2 For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? 3 I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. I had confidence in all of you, that you would all share my joy. 4 For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.

2 Corinthians 7:8-10

8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it — I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

2 Corinthians 13:5-10

5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. 7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is for your perfection. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority — the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.